Give a little, get back a ton at Vancouver Adaptive Snow Sports

Anne Bethune with a Vancouver Adaptive Snow Sports student

Photograph by: Vancouver Adaptive Snow Sports

Anne Bethune has been volunteering for VASS for 26 years as an instructor. She's worked on the VASS board of directors for the last 10 years and has been president of the association for six years.

She’s an instructor with Canadian Association of Disabled Skiers (CADS) Examiner and runs training clinics for instructors across B.C.

What surprised you most about the experience?

That I get way more back that I give. I am continually inspired and humbled working with so many truly incredible individuals who, in the face of challenge and adversity, get out and live life to their full potential. Our local mountains — Grouse, Seymour and Cypress — have been wonderful community partners. Grouse Mountain has generously given us land to build a new headquarters this year which is an appropriate way to celebrate our 40 years anniversary of running programs there.

What's the biggest challenge you find you face — the biggest difficulty?

That few people know that we exist and we do not have enough instructors to meet the demand for our programs from our students.

It saddens me to imagine a child with a disability having to stay home when their able-body peers are out on a school ski/board field trip because we don't have a trained volunteer instructor for them. I feel challenged that we are not yet able to provide equal access to skiing/boarding lessons for students with a disability as able-bodied kids have. My vision is that we can provide lessons 7 days a week for persons with a disability.

Tell me an anecdote of the most inspiring person you've helped, or perhaps the one moment in your teaching experience that really stuck with you, as poignant, happy, sad, etc.

There are so many stories that have made me laugh and cry over the years. While the simple thrill of sharing skiing with a child who has a visual impairment, or enabling that freedom of mobility to a person who spends their day in a wheelchair and can now fly down the hill in a sit ski, or seeing a child who has lost his leg to cancer become a superstar ski racer is all so truly amazing.

As VASS is reaching out for volunteers, what's the one reassurance, advice or tip you'd give a new volunteer?

VASS is such a FUN way to volunteer and give back to your community. The time commitment is only once a week for six to eight weeks during the winter season. And you will get back much more than you give! There are two training weekends during December or January to choose from. Details at www.vass.ca.

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